I’ve made fried chicken using lots of recipes. In recent years, the recipe that gets the most rave reviews is the one by Thomas Keller in his best-selling cookbook, Ad Hoc at Home. The recipe has become as famous as his restaurant in Yountville, California that inspired the gorgeous cookbook.

Keller’s trick is a very flavorful lemon-herbed brine solution that he soaks the chicken in for 20-24 hours. It really adds a lot of juiciness and flavor. But… it also adds a lot of ingredients and time so I consider this step optional. The chicken is really good even without the brine.You may also simplify the brine using a gallon of water plus one cup each of sugar and kosher salt. It’s the sugar and the salt that helps increase the moisture content of the poultry. The seasonings in his recipe are a bonus for flavor.

My favorite aspect of his recipe is the combination of the buttermilk and seasoned flour he uses to dip the chicken prior to frying. The skin is crispy yet not too overwhelming and has just a little extra kick from the cayenne pepper and other seasonings.

In order to make sure your chicken is safely cooked all the way through, a deep-fryer thermometer is critical (and a good investment if you love fried chicken.) I usually cut into a piece to make sure it’s done. If not, you can always finish it in the oven. For an extra treat… swirl a some adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chiles in ranch dressing and use as a dip for this chicken. Just a little bit of that smoky dip goes a long way.

Rinse chickens; add to brine, pressing to submerge. Chill at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain chickens and pat dry, removing any herbs or spices sticking to the skin. Cut each chicken into 8 pieces.

To Fry:

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix first 6 ingredients and 4 teaspoons coarse salt in large bowl. Place buttermilk in another large bowl. Dip each chicken piece in flour mixture to coat; shake off excess. Dip pieces in buttermilk, coating completely, then dip into flour mixture again, coating thickly (do not shake off excess). Place chicken on prepared sheets. Let stand 1 to 2 hours at room temperature to dry.

Pour peanut oil into heavy large pot. Attach deep-fry thermometer to side of pot and heat oil over medium-high heat to 320 degrees Fahrenheit and 330 degrees Fahrenheit. Working in batches of 4 pieces at a time, add leg and thigh pieces to oil (use splatter screen to protect yourself from hot oil). Adjust heat as needed to maintain temperature. Fry until cooked through and skin is deep golden brown, turning once with wooden spoons (to prevent crust from breaking), about 13 minutes. Using wooden spoons, transfer chicken to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with course salt.

Add breast pieces to oil and fry until cooked through and skin is deep golden brown, turning once, about 7 minutes. Transfer chicken to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with course salt.

1 Comment

Yvonne
June 30, 2013 at 4:25 pm

Could you change this recipe to make it using 1chicken w cut up parts. Recipe too large for normal family.
Thank You , it’s does sound really good.